


an endlessly upward world

by nirav



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-14 21:00:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3425447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nirav/pseuds/nirav
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Everyone knows that the bonds formed during the crucible of finals week do not hold up in the real world.  It’s not a time to be forming attachments, it’s a time for survival.  You were her ally.  You can’t ask her out based on that.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Delivery on a promise to [youngbloodbuzz](http://youngbloodbuzz.tumblr.com) for a Korra/Asami college AU. What was supposed to a like three chapters has spiraled very far out of control. It's all her fault.

Korra muttered a string of curses under her breath as she picked her way through the crowded library on the hunt for a free table.  There were students sitting five to a table, elbows pinched in and necks craning towards laptops and textbooks; half of the floorspace was taken by freshmen camped out and five pages away from nervous breakdowns.  How did people even get tables around finals?  Two and a half years into her college education and she still hadn’t figured that part out.

 

After stalking through the entire library, she gave up and made her way across campus, swerving into every library in search for a place to study.  She dug her phone out of her bag and shot an annoyed text off to Bolin as she circled around to the engineering library in a last attempt to find a quiet table to study at.

 

_i hate you for not making me start studying sooner_

 

Her phone buzzed cheerfully as she weaved through the engineering library.

 

_NOT MY FAULT :)_

 

“Bastard,” she mumbled at her phone.  No less than four over-caffeinated engineering students jerked their heads up like whack-a-moles to glare at her for the sound, and she dove around a corner into the stacks to avoid them.

 

There.  A table.  An empty table.  A huge, untainted, unclaimed, table.  Korra stared at it, frozen for a short moment in her disbelief.  A day before finals started and, somehow, there was an entire huge table in the engineering library with no one sitting at it.  

 

Glancing over her shoulder, Korra tiptoed towards the empty table.  The whack-a-moles would want to confiscate the table for themselves if they knew about it.  

 

With a content smile, Korra settled down at the table, patting it fondly.  She dug her textbooks out and shoved earplugs into her ears, propped her feet up on the table and book onto her legs, and resigned herself to cramming an entire semester’s worth of sociology class into 24 hours.

 

Two hours passed peacefully enough, right up until someone yanked her feet off the table.  Korra flailed in her chair, powering it back down onto four legs before she tipped over and almost upending the entire table in the process.

 

“What in the--”

 

A girl was glaring down at her, arms folded over her chest and an unnecessarily enormous stack of books sitting on the other chair beside her.

 

“What the hell?” Korra half-shouted.  She yanked her earplugs out, gearing up for a fight, and--

 

“This is my table,” the other girl said.  Even with Korra standing at full height, the other girl was still glaring down at her and wow, was she unfairly pretty and intimidating and--

 

“It’s a table,” Korra threw back at her, the need to keep her grades up to keep swimming overpowering the fluttery twinge low in her stomach.  “A table that was empty until I got here.”

 

“I’ve used this table every day for four years!”

 

“That doesn’t make it yours and it sure as hell doesn’t give you the right to try and throw me on the floor!”

 

“It’s my table and you didn’t hear me the first four times I tried to get you to leave.”

 

“I had earplugs in!  And you still don’t get to--”  Korra ground her teeth together, clenching her fists and glaring at the clock.  “Look, can’t we just share, uh-- whatever your name is?”

 

“Asami,” she said, short and tight.  “And you’re the swimming prodigy jock that no one will ever shut up about.  And no.  I need the space.”  She waved a sheaf of rolled up blueprints in front of Korra’s face impatiently; the

 

“I don’t need a ton of space,” Korra said with a sigh.  “I just need a little bit.  And I have a final tomorrow at eight and I’m so far behind and I really--”

 

“If I say yes will you be quiet?” Asami interrupted.  “You’re not the only one who has something to finish before tomorrow.”

 

“Quiet as a mouse,” Korra said with a smirk.  “A mouse who only needs a tiny little bit of tablespace to take notes and--”

 

Asami had already slipped a pair of headphones over her ears and was unrolling her blueprints onto the table.

 

“Nice to meet you, too, prissy hot girl,” Korra mumbled as she replaced her earplugs.

 

Another hour passed, and Korra’s eyes were starting to droop shut.  She glanced over to where Asami was-- doing something with a calculator and a ruler and who knows what else.  With a yawn, Korra marked her space in the book and set it on the floor, standing up to stretch.  Asami didn’t notice.  

 

Digging her wallet out of her bag, Korra paused and opened her mouth to ask Asami if she wanted coffee; as she did, Asami muttered a curse and violently scratched out whatever she had just written.

 

Korra edged away from the table silently, leaving Asami to her frustrations.  

 

* * *

 

 

“Hey,” Korra said, kicking the table lightly.  “Crankypants.  Come up for air.”

 

“What do you--” Asami’s head snapped up to glare at Korra and she yanked her headphones down around her neck before she cut herself off, her brow furrowing at the coffee Korra was holding out to her.  “What’s that?”

 

“It’s a giraffe,” Korra said flatly.  “What does it look like?  Take two minutes before you break the table with your angry writing and drink some coffee.”

 

“Oh,” Asami said.  “I-- thank you.”  She took the coffee apprehensively and sighed at the warmth leaking out of it.  “Do you have--”

 

Korra pulled a handful of sugar packets and creamers out of her sweatpants pocket, presenting them to Asami with a smirk.

 

“Thank you,” Asami mumbled again.  She set to mixing the cream and sugar into her coffee, biting down on the corner of her lip as she avoided looking at Korra.

 

“So,” Korra said conversationally.  “Five minute break.  So you don’t end up killing the table in a violent manner, since I happen to need it.”

 

Asami blushed, slight but noticeable, and she flashed a small smile across the table at Korra.  “Sorry about-- well, you know.”

 

“It’s cool,” Korra said with a shrug.  “You’re pretty scary, but not as scary as the swim coach.  And everyone’s on edge now.  Finals, you know?”

 

“Right,” Asami murmured.  “Does the team not have its own place to study or something?”

 

Korra shrugged again, blowing on her coffee.  “Yeah, kinda, but it’s impossible to concentrate when you have thirty jocks hanging around the room.  Even if they’re all studying, it’s just--way too much going on.”

 

“Hence the earplugs?”

 

Korra grinned broadly, snapping her fingers into a gun and pointing at Asami.  “Bingo.”

 

“I’m sorry I called you a dumb jock,” Asami said suddenly.

 

“Technically you called me a swimming prodigy jock, which isn’t so bad,” Korra said.  Her grin tilted to one side, going lopsided, and Asami rubbed a hand over her eyes, fiddling with her coffee cup with the other.

 

“Yeah, well-- sorry anyways.  For the implication.”

 

“Well, you can make it up to me if you want,” Korra said, grin still in place.  “Since this is your table and all that, how about you let me study here through the end of finals?  I promise I won’t bring any weird gigantic blueprints to compete for table space.”

 

“Are you sure you want to share a table with me and my angry writing?”

 

“I’ll take my chances.”

 

“Okay,” Asami said.  She leaned across the table, holding her hand out, and Korra shook it firmly.  “Deal.  And I’ll buy the coffee next time.”

 

“Score,” Korra said.  She flopped back into her chair and dug her earplugs out of her backpack once more.  Popping one in, she paused and raised her coffee cup towards Asami.  “To finals.”

 

“Right,” Asami said, mirroring her salute.  She watched as Korra settled more comfortably in her chair, earplugs in and highlighter between her teeth, for a few seconds longer than was actually necessary before she pulled her headphones back up over her ears.

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Asami threw a broken eraser across the table, beaning Korra in the side of the head sometime during the twelfth hour of their second day sharing custody of the table.

 

“Ow!”

 

“Shh,” Asami said with a smirk.  “This is a library.”

 

“Bite me,” Korra mumbled.  “What?”

 

“Did you eat?  I’m starving.”

 

“I have a protein bar or something, I think.”

 

“That’s not a meal,” Asami said.  “You’re an athlete, shouldn’t you know that?”

 

“Desperate times, desperate measures.  I have--” She paused to check the clock on her phone.  “Ten hours until my next final and an entire semester’s worth of reading to learn.”

 

“You still need to eat.”

 

“I’m ignoring you,” Korra said.

 

Asami rolled her eyes, throwing the other piece of the eraser at her.  “I’m buying food and you’re eating some.”

 

“Shhh, this is a library,” Korra said.

 

Asami shoved the table as she stood up, not bothering to hide her smile when Korra grumbled at her.  She disappeared into the stacks, leaving Korra to gnaw on her highlighter as she studied.  

 

Half an hour later, Asami returned with a bag full of takeout and more coffee.  She waved the coffee in front of Korra’s face, pulling her attention away from her notes.

 

“Oh my God, did you buy an entire restaurant?”

 

“It’s brain food,” Asami said.  “Come on, eat like a human.”

 

“Fine, fine, okay,” Korra said, closing her book.  “Thanks, by the way.”

 

“No problem,” Asami said, settling down into her own chair.  She rolled her blueprints up loosely to leave room for the food and started passing containers over to Korra.  “So did you just not go to class all semester or something?”

 

“Hrmm?” Korra mumbled around the mouthful of noodles she had just shoved into her mouth.  Asami’s nose wrinkled and Korra chewed quickly.  “I did, I have to.  The swim program has an attendance requirement for classes even if the prof doesn’t.  But it was a really busy semester and I crammed for the tests but forgot all of it, so...here I am.”

 

“Right.” Asami twirled her chopsticks between her fingers, eyeballing Korra from across the table.  

 

“What?”

 

“What what?”

 

“You’re-looking-at-me-weird what.  Like I’m lying or something.”

 

“I don’t think you’re lying,” Asami said.  “I’m just wondering why you let yourself get to the point where you have to live in the library for finals.”

 

“Hey, judgey, you’re here, too, you know.”

 

“I’m working on two graduate degrees at once,” Asami said with a smirk.  “Want to trade?”

 

“You--why, that sounds horrible.”

 

Asami shrugged, gesturing vaguely with her chopsticks.  “I want to keep doing my engineering work, but I also want to manage my own business.”

 

“Right,” Korra said slowly.  Her brow furrowed and she tilted her head to one side, looking Asami up and down.  “How old are you?”

 

Asami flushed darkly and she looked intently down at her food.  Korra sat back and tilted her chair onto two legs, smirking around her mouthful of noodles.  “Well, that answers that question.  Is that why no one is dumb enough to try and poach your table?”

 

Asami shrugged.  “I guess so.  Mostly they just don’t talk to me either way.”

 

“Well,” Korra said with a wink.  “That’s dumb, but it’s also great for me, so I’m glad they’re all dicks, else I’d be studying on the floor in the trainer’s office.”

 

“So,” Asami said, clearing her throat.  “How many more finals do you have?”

 

“Too many,” Korra moaned, flopping down onto the table and letting her head thunk down onto the surface.  Somewhere across the table, Asami laughed quietly, and Korra heaved out a tired sigh.

 

“Don’t laugh at me,” she said, propping her chin on the table and pouting.

 

“I would never.”  Asami pointed at her face with her chopsticks, schooling her features into neutrality.  “This is my serious face.”

 

“You suck,” Korra mumbled.  “But thank you for feeding me.”

 

“Anytime,” Asami said with a smile.  She pushed another takeout container across the table.  “Eat up.  Can’t study this much on an empty stomach.”

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

The morning of her last final, Korra woke up to her phone buzzing angrily under her cheek.  The whole table grumbled with the alarm’s vibration, and Korra sat up slowly, just in time to see Asami jerking upright on her side of the table.  There was a line pressed into her cheek from the book she’d used as a pillow, but with a sleepy blink and a shake of her head, her makeup righted itself and hair fell gracefully past her shoulders.

 

Korra stared, scrubbing at the phone imprint on her face with one hand and wiping gunk from her eye with the other, at Asami and her complete lack of fluster from having slept at a library table.

 

“Coffee,” Asami mumbled through a yawn.  “What time is it?”

 

“7:15,” Korra said with a groan.  She poked at the notes and textbooks she’d scattered across the table-- Asami had been studying for one of her business classes most of the night, on her feet and with her headphones on, pacing around the table with measured strides and a highlighter twirling between her fingers-- and yawned.  “I should go, my exam is at eight.”

 

“Right,” Asami said.  She yawned and swept her hair up into a neat ponytail, and Korra blinked slowly at the way her hair settled perfectly.  “Korra.  Korra!”

 

“What? I’m up, what?” Korra leapt up from her chair,  grabbing for her papers.

 

“You need coffee,” Asami said.  She arched an eyebrow at Korra’s cluttered mess of papers.  “Come on, let’s go.  Leave that here, you can’t possibly learn anything more in the next hour than you did since yesterday.  Coffee, and food, and then exam.”

 

“But you have--”

 

“Mine isn’t until noon.”  Asami settled her hands on Korra’s shoulders, manhandling her around to turn away from the table.  

 

“But I need--”

 

Asami slapped her wallet and phone into one hand and backpack into the other and prodded her in the back.  “Keep walking, superstar.”

 

“Bossy,” Korra mumbled through a yawn, but it was only a token protest as she let Asami march her out of the stacks, hands still warm on her shoulders.  “Don’t walk me into a wall.”

 

“Right,” Asami said.  She flicked Korra’s ear and moved to walk beside her, rolling her eyes when Korra whined at the loss of propulsion.  “Aren’t you some kind of athletic prodigy?  You don’t need me to wheelbarrow you to Starbucks.”

 

“In water,” Korra said, drooping tiredly as she walked.  “I’m useless on land.”

 

“Right,” Asami said again.  “Totally useless, I’m sure.”

 

“Yes,” Korra said with a whine.  She shuffled to a stop and held out her arms pathetically.  “Carry me.”

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Yes.”  Korra crossed her arms over her chest and shoved her bottom lip out.

 

“Fine, up you go.”  Asami turned her back to Korra, holding her arms out.

 

“Really?”

 

“If it’ll get you to stop whining, yes,” Asami said.  “Only to the coffee shop, so that we get there in time to actually get coffee before your exam.”

 

“You’re amazing,” Korra said with a smile.  She clambered up onto Asami’s back, grinning when Asami grunted out a “Good God, you’re a boulder.”

 

“All muscle, baby,” Korra said, suddenly far more awake.  Her arms curled easily over Asami’s shoulders.  “Onwards, to the coffee.”

 

“Uh huh,” Asami said dryly as she started walking.  “Thank God it’s not far.”

 

“Don’t worry, I’m buying your coffee as payment for the labor,” Korra said with a smirk.  “And don’t look now, but some of the zombies are staring at us.”

 

Asami tilted her head to one side, taking in the other students who were milling about in search of coffee or their next final, some staring blatantly at the two of them.  

 

“Imagine that,” she said, striding towards the coffee shop.

 

“Not gonna lie, I’m impressed.  You’re a lot stronger than you look.”

 

“Not all of us are useless on land, you know,” Asami huffed out as she trudged up the stairs to the Starbucks.  “Okay, off off off.”

 

She dropped Korra abruptly, but Korra landed lightly on her feet, bouncing with energy.

 

“How do you have this much energy all of the sudden?” Asami took a slow, heavy breath, shaking her arms out.

 

“Magic,” Korra said with a smile.  “But I still need coffee.  After you.”  She swept open the Starbucks door, bowing halfway and staying bent over until Asami was inside.

 

“Is this normal jock behavior, or just normal you behavior?”

 

Korra bounced over to Asami’s side in line, tugging habitually on the straps of her backpack.  “I dunno,” she said.  “Though according to my coach I’m, like, the biggest pain in the ass ever, so it’s probably just me.”  She swung her bag free and dug into the main pocket, emerging with a pack of flashcards, which she shoved into Asami’s hands.  “I’ll buy coffee and breakfast if you quiz me.”

 

Asami rolled her eyes but flipped through the flashcards anyways, diligently reading off terms for Korra until they ordered and were swept away into the crowd of students waiting for their drinks.  

 

“Coffee,” Korra sighed when Asami reached over the mass of panicked students waiting for coffee and retrieved their drinks, handing one to Korra.  “You’re beautiful, I love you.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Asami said with an eyeroll.  She shoved a banana and a muffin into Korra’s backpack and took a sip of her own coffee, flicking her fingers on her free hand at Korra and raising an eyebrow.

 

“Going, going.”  Korra swiped at her hand on her way towards the door.  

 

“So,” Asami said as she fell into step with Korra.  “What’s the plan after your last final?  Big party, hot date, sleep for a week?”

 

“If only,” Korra snorted.  She took a long sip of her coffee.  “I’m working a lifeguard shift at the community center this afternoon.  Then weight training, then I promised my friend we’d drag his brother out for drinks so he’d stop sulking over his latest breakup.”

 

“Sounds busy,” Asami said.  “Don’t forget to, you know, sleep at some point.”

 

“Sleep is for the weak,” Korra said.  She threw her shoulders back and grinned widely at Asami.  “Who needs sleep?”

 

Asami rolled her eyes when Korra yawned at the end of her declaration, shoulders slumping tiredly.  “Right,” she said.  “Of course.”

 

“What about you, then?”

 

“Nothing really,” Asami said with a shrug.  “I’m staying here for the holidays, so I have some projects I want to work on.  Catch up on some sleep, veg a bit, but mostly working.”

 

“You’re not going home?”

 

“I--no,” Asami said.  She stared down at her coffee as they walked.  “My mom died when I was a kid, and my dad and I aren’t really close, and this grad program is a lot of work, so.”

 

“Oh,” Korra said.  She glanced over at Asami’s profile and the way her mouth turned down and shoulders gave way at her explanation, and bit down on the inside of her cheek.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to--”

 

“It’s fine,” Asami said, forcing a bright smile in Korra’s direction.  “I’m looking forward to having a few weeks to work without any major deadlines.”

 

“Right,” Korra said, her words disappearing into her coffee cup.  “So, uh, what are the projects you’re working on?”

 

“Electric cars.”  Asami’s eyes lightened, matching pace with the winter sunlight leaking over the horizon as she smiled, and Korra almost dropped her coffee.  “Like, for something like a Tesla, but a lot cheaper.”

 

“Oh, really?  You build cars?”

 

“Well, right now, no,” Asami said.  Her voice lilted into the morning air, light and easy.  Korra smiled in spite of herself.  “Design.  I mean, for this, at least.  I used to rebuild cars when I had more time, it was like a hobby, but now I just-- well, undergrad, and then grad school, and I don’t really have the time right now.  But that’s what I want to do, when I graduate.  Cheaper, reliable electrics for mass consumption.”

 

“Wow,” Korra said, staring until she almost tripped on an uneven brick in the sidewalk.  “I mean, that’s-- wow.  Really cool.”

 

“It will be, if I can get the investors,” Asami said.  Her mouth turned down.  “It’s--difficult.”

 

“Because you’re so young?”

 

“Young, female, interested in cars, my-- it’s just been hard, is all,” Asami said.  She smiled again and elbowed Korra in the ribs.  “But it’ll work out.  I’ve got a plan.”

 

“Of course you do.”  Korra elbowed her back.  She dodged the next elbow and leapt up the steps to the building they were in front of.  “Well, here we are.”  She gestured uselessly behind her.

 

“Yep,” Asami said, tilting her chin up to watch Korra.  “Good luck on your exam.”

 

“Thanks,” Korra said.  “And thanks for the coffee.  And sharing your table.  And--”

 

“No problem,” Asami said with a smile.  “I’m sure I’ll run into you when you come get your stuff from the library, but if I don’t, have a good break.”

 

“Thanks,” Korra said again.  “I mean-- my friends and I are going out for drinks tonight, if you want to come.  It’s just me and a couple of friends and a bar that doesn’t always check IDs.”

 

“Yeah, maybe,” Asami said.  “If I finish up everything I want to work on--”

 

“Asami,” Korra said, pointing a stern finger at her.  “No more working today.  Finish your last exam, relax this afternoon, and then come out for drinks with me and my idiot friends.”

 

“But--”

 

“No buts,” Korra said.  “I have your phone number, you know, I can and will nag you until you agree.  So just save us both the trouble and agree now.”

 

“Okay,” Asami said.  She smiled up at Korra.  “Go take your exam.”

 

“Okay,” Korra said with a smile of her own.  “Talk to you later, then.”  She hopped up the remainder of the stairs, only to spin around and leap back down them, running around to cut off Asami’s retreat and skid to a halt in front of her.  

 

“Obviously you don’t actually have to come hang out with us if you don’t want to,” she said hurriedly.  “I just meant that if you want to you really should and you obviously work really hard so you should take a break and--”

 

“Korra!” Asami said loudly.  “Your exam starts in five minutes.  And I know what you meant.  It’s fine.  But you have to go.”

 

“Right,” Korra said, flushing darkly.  “See you later.”  She sprinted up the stairs and into the building, leaving Asami with half a cup of coffee and a small smile in her wake.


	4. Chapter 4

“Bad idea,” Bolin said.  He stared down at Korra, arms crossed over his chest, and she glared back up at him, huffing out a heavy breath as she pushed the bar back up.

 

“Stop glaring and spot,” Korra ground out before her next repetition.  

 

“Seriously.”  Bolin’s hands hovered near the bar, but his expression didn’t change.  “Do not do it.”

 

“Why not.”  Korra’s voice fell flat and breathy as her arms started to shake and her back started to bow off the bench as she approached the end of her set.

 

“Stop that,” her swim coach said, materializing at her side and glaring down at Korra.  She flicked a towel at Korra’s stomach, forcing her spine back down onto the bench.  “You know better.”

 

“Sorry,” Korra mumbled.  She pushed the bar up for the last time and clanged it back onto the rack,and let her arms flop down at her side.  

 

“Coach Lin,” Bolin said brightly.  “Tell her that she shouldn’t ask out a supergenius engineering student just because they shared a table at the library studying for finals.”

 

“I don’t care,” Coach said.  She dropped the towel down on Korra’s face and stalked off.  “Don’t forget to go to the trainer before you leave,” she shouted over her shoulder, and Korra groaned.

 

Bolin plopped down to sit on the floor at her side as she lay sprawled over the bench.  He folded his legs and propped his elbows on his knees, resting his chin in his hands and staring at her.  

 

“Stop it,” she mumbled.

 

“You can’t ask her out,” Bolin said.  “Not yet.  All you’ve done is study across from her.  During finals.”

 

“What does that have to do with anything?”

 

“Korra!” Bolin rolled his eyes.  “Everyone knows that the bonds formed during the crucible of finals week do not hold up in the real world.  It’s not a time to be forming attachments, it’s a time for survival.  You were her ally.  You can’t ask her out based on that.”

 

Korra’s head lolled over to the side so she could blink at him slowly.  Her nose scrunched up as he spoke.  “Did you just quote the Hunger Games?”

 

“I--”

 

“You did.  You totally did.”

 

“It’s a perfectly valid point and the fact that I used the words of a villain from a completely legitimate and important piece of literature doesn’t change that!”

 

“Right,” Korra said.  She sat up and flipped the towel around, swatting him in the face as she stood.  Scrubbing the towel over her face, she sighed and reached out to pull him up to his feet.  “And fine.  Whatever.  It’s a bad idea.”

 

They unloaded the weight plates from the bar, re-racking them swiftly.  

 

“Look,” Bolin said after a few minutes.  “You know I was only being like, half serious, right?  If you wanna do it, ask her out now.  Or, well, maybe not now, but when the next semester starts, since it’s break now.  But I just think you should wait a bit.”

 

“Why’s that,” Korra grunted out, manhandling two 45 pound plates back onto the rack.  

 

“Because you always do that thing when you start to like someone, and it only works out like 10% of the time.”

 

“I don’t-- what thing?”

 

“The one where you get a crush and you get super excited about it and rush into things without thinking and then you get hurt, and then you go out and get drunk and me and Mako have to come pick you up and take you home and make sure you don’t have a hangover before your godawful early morning practice.”

 

“I don’t do that!”

 

“You really do,” Wing and Wei chimed in together as they racked their own weights.

 

“No!” Korra said sharply, pointing at them.  “You two don’t get to say anything.  Who bailed you out when you got arrested for tagging the Admin building and lied to coach so she wouldn’t tell your mom?”

 

“Right,” Wing said.  He had the grace to look at least half guilty.

 

“Okay,” Wei said after a moment.  “But--”

 

“No,” Korra said.  She threw her towel at them.  “One more word and I tell coach you skipped out on your drills during finals and she’ll throw you in the pool for the entire Christmas break.”  She stalked off towards the trainer’s office, pausing only to punch Bolin in the shoulder.

 

“Hey!”  He jogged after her, catching the door before she shut it and sliding in behind her.

 

“Shut up” Korra muttered as she jumped up on to the table and stripped off her t-shirt.  Bolin claimed the only chair in the room as his own and the trainer rolled her eyes and started prodding at Korra’s shoulder.  “You made your point, okay.”

 

“My only point is that if you really like her you should--”

 

“Okay, no,” Zhu Li said suddenly, pointing at Bolin with the scissors she was about to cut athletic tape with.  “You know the rules.  You’re allowed in here even though you aren’t a swimmer, but you follow the swim team rules, which includes no romantic drama in my training room.”

 

“The lady has spoken,” Korra said with a smug smile that disappeared as soon as Zhu Li grabbed her arm roughly and started prodding at her shoulder again.  “Sorry,” she mumbled, sulking quietly as Zhu Li stretched tape over her shoulder and settled it against her skin.

 

“Are you staying on campus over the break?”  Zhu Li stepped back and dusted off her hands, inspecting her handiwork.

 

“Yeah,” Korra said.  She stretched her arm, testing the tape.

 

“Come back in a couple of days and I’ll put more tape on.  If you don’t, then just take the tape off and wear the brace.”

 

“I hate the brace,” Korra said, sticking out her lower lip.  

 

“Then come back for more tape.”

 

“Yes ma’am,” Korra said.

 

“Don’t call me ma’am,” Zhu Li said flatly.  “And shoo.  I have other things to do besides babysit you.”

 

Korra hopped off the table and slapped Bolin on the back of the head on her way out.  Zhu Li threw Korra’s t-shirt at him and he barely caught it before scampering out of the room.

 

“You’re not going home?”

 

“Nah, my dad called, he’s surprising my mom with a trip for Christmas.  Twentieth anniversary, blah blah blah.  They’re going to Italy.”

 

“So what’re you going to do?  Why didn’t you tell us, you could come to our grandma’s place--”

 

“I’m going to sleep,” Korra said.  “A lot.  And cover shifts at the community center, Tenzin and Pema said they get really shortstaffed when all the students go home.  I told them I could lifeguard.”

 

“You sure?  It’s no big deal if you want to come home with us.”

 

“I’m good,” Korra said, elbowing him with a smile.  “You sound like my dad, he was all kinds of worried about me hanging out alone on Christmas.  But Tenzin already invited me to hang out with them for the holiday, and I could use some time to recharge, so it’s all good.”

 

“If you say so--”

 

“I say so.”  Korra spun on her heel, grabbing him by the shoulders and stopping him abruptly.  “And stop following me, you can’t go in here.”

 

“I-- oh, oops.”  He flushed at the women’s locker room sign and Korra rubbed a hand over his hair.  

 

“Go away,” Korra said.  “I’ll text you later, we’re forcing Mako out to get drinks tonight, remember?”

 

“Do we have to?” He whined.  “He likes the stupidest bars, nothing ever happens and it’s just a bunch of hipsters--”

 

“Got it covered,” Korra said with a wink.  “Trust me.  I found an awesome dive, it’ll make him feel all gloomy and Kerouac-y, and we can play pool with a bunch of old bikers, and it’ll all be good.”  She manhandled Bolin into turning around and shoved him down the hall.  “Now go away.”

 

“Don’t forget my advice!” Bolin called over his shoulder as he walked off.  “If you get all brokenhearted and mopey you’ll be just like Mako and I can’t handle two of you!”


	5. Chapter 5

 

Mako shoved a hand through his hair, shuffling along between Korra and Bolin.  “Are you sure--”

 

“Yes,” Korra said.  She didn’t look up from her phone but drove an elbow into his ribs anyways.

 

“You didn’t let me finish!”

 

“Am I sure we can get into this bar?  Am I sure this is a good idea?  Am I sure you need to stop moping because you got dumped by a girl you dated for three and a half seconds?  Am I sure I know what I’m doing?”

 

“Fine,” he mumbled.  He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets.  “Who are you texting?”

 

“A friend,” Korra said, and she elbowed him again.  “Stop trying to read my text messages, it’s creepy.”

 

“Are you two going to be like this all night?” Bolin said, craning his neck forward so he could glare at Mako.  “Because that’s going to be a problem.”

 

“You’re a problem,” Korra said.  She hipchecked him into a lightpost.  “And look, here we are.”

 

“I hate you,” Bolin muttered as he dragged his ID out of his pocket and handed it to the bouncer.

 

“Uh huh.”  Korra tapped out another text message on her phone.

 

_If you actually come out with us i’ll buy your drinks!_

 

Her phone buzzed as the bouncer handed Korra’s ID back to her.  

 

_I told you i’m on my way!  I’ll be there in five._

 

“Ha!”  Korra said triumphantly and shoved her phone back into her pocket.

 

“What?”

 

“My friend is going to meet us.”  Korra grabbed Mako by the shoulders and marched him over to a table in the corner.  “Sit.  Stay.  Do not sulk.  We’re getting the first round.”

 

“I can--”

 

“You got dumped,” Bolin said, patting his shoulder.  

 

“Thanks for reminding me,” Mako said.  

 

“Anytime!” Bolin flashed him a bright smile and crooked an elbow out to Korra, who hooked one hand through it and let him lead her to the bar, the two of them spinning away from Mako in an elaborate pirouette.

 

“So.”  Bolin leaned against the bar and propped his chin in his hands, staring at Korra.  “Is this your library friend who’s going to meet us?”

 

“Yep,” Korra said with a broad smile.  “And don’t worry, I’m taking your advice and will not ask her out until the semester starts back up.”

 

“Well, it was very wise and kindhearted advice,” Bolin said.  He rattled off their order to the bartender.

 

“Yeah yeah yeah,” Korra said, rolling her eyes.  Bolin handed her her drink and took a sip of his beer, one eyebrow quirking up over the rim of his glass.

 

“Can you add a bourbon rocks to that?”

 

Korra spun around, flashing a wide smile at Asami.  

 

“Hey!” she said, right as Bolin choked on his beer and sputtered out Asami’s name.

 

“Bolin?”

 

“Wait, what?” Korra said.  Her gaze ricocheted between the two of them, brow furrowed and confusion written into her jawline.  “You two-- what?”

 

“Asami, what are you--”

 

“Hey, Mako,” Asami said levelly.  She nodded at him as he shuffled to a stop across from Korra, her features schooled to neutral, and reached behind Korra’s back to accept her drink from the bartender.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“Korra invited me,” Asami said.  She drained half of her drink.

 

“You know Korra?”

 

“What is going on?” Korra half-shouted, all but stomping her foot.  “How do you guys--”

 

“Mako and I dated for a while,” Asami said.

 

“You what?”

 

“Um.”  Mako rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, his cheeks darkening.  “Yeah.”

 

Korra wheeled around to face Asami.  “You dated _him_?  Seriously?”

 

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Asami said with a shrug.  Bolin laughed into his beer, earning a glare from Mako and a small smile from Asami.

 

“What?  It was funny, dude.”

 

“It’s not funny!”

 

“Your ex-girlfriends are friends.  It’s _hilarious_.”

 

“Wait,” Asami said, turning back to Korra.  “You dated him, too?”

 

“It was a terrible idea that lasted, like, a month,” Korra said defensively.

 

“Hey!” Mako said, folding his arms over his chest.  “I’m right here!”

 

Korra punched him in the shoulder.  “We all know it was a terrible idea and we’re better as friends.  Might I remind you that you broke up with me for that exact reason?”

 

“Fine,” Mako said with a sigh.  “Can we drink now?”

 

“Here you go, mopey,” Bolin said, patting him on the shoulder and handing him a beer.  “Let’s go sit and sulk quietly about what’s-her-face dumping you for a better writer.”

 

“Hey!”

 

Korra laughed, kicking at Bolin’s shoe as he went by, and turned back to face Asami.  

 

“So.”  She fiddled with the straw in her drink, swirling ice cubes around.  “Hi.  That was awkward.”

 

“Very awkward,” Asami said with a smile.  “I can’t believe we have an ex in common.”

 

“Ugh,” Korra grimaced.  “He’s not even really an ex, he’s my friend I’ve known forever and we thought we were in love and found out very quickly that we were not.”  She took a sip of her drink and shrugged.  “At least he’s pretty, though.”

 

“That’s something,” Asami said.  She tossed her hair back over her shoulder and leaned towards Korra.  Her  voice dropped and a shiver raced down between Korra’s shoulderblades.  “And don’t look now but he’s _panicking_ that we’re talking so just laugh like I made a joke about him.  I want to see if he can get any redder.”

 

Korra cast a glance back over her shoulder, one eyebrow crawling to her hairline at the uncomfortable flush decorating his cheeks, and laughed quietly.

 

“Oh, he _can_ ,” Asami said, clapping a hand onto Korra’s shoulder and giggling.

 

“Okay, but seriously,” Korra said.  She set her drink on the bar and crossed her arms over her chest.  “What was the deal?”

 

Asami shrugged, tossing back the rest of her bourbon and motioning to the bartender for another.  “I ran into him and spilled his coffee, so I bought him another one, and we started talking.  It was nice and fun and then he came back from Thanksgiving and told me he was in love with someone else and--”

 

“Wait,” Korra said.  “Thanksgiving?  Last Thanksgiving?”

 

“Yeah.”  Asami’s head tilted to one side.  “Why?”

 

“He-- oh my _God_ , I’m going to--”  Korra shoved away from the bar, starting towards the table in the corner.  Neither of the boys noticed, Mako too busy staring into his beer and Bolin too busy telling him a joke of some kind, and Asami managed to grab Korra’s arm and pull her back.

 

“What are you--”

 

“We got together over Thanksgiving last year!” Korra said hotly.  Her eyes widened impossibly and she turned back to Asami, her jaw dropping slowly.  “Oh my God, Asami, I’m so sorry.  I never would have-- I didn’t know he was seeing anyone then, I made a move on him-- I’m so sorry!”

 

“So, you’re the girl he dumped me for?”

 

“We slept together the first time over Thanksgiving,” Korra said miserably.  Her shoulders dropped and she leaned heavily onto the bar, forehead falling into her hands.  “I never would have--”

 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Asami said.  Her hand fell easily to rest on Korra’s shoulder, warm through the thin material of her shirt.  “Really.  If you didn’t know then it’s definitely not your fault.”

 

“I’m going to kill him,” Korra mumbled into her hands.  “Better yet, I’m going to tell his grandmother and _she’s_ going to kill him.”

 

“Korra--”

 

“Hold on, I have to go punch him in the arm.”  Korra whirled away from the bar, her athletic shoulders bouldering past Asami easily, and stalked over to where Mako and  Bolin still sat.  She slammed her fist into Mako’s shoulder and was halfway back to the bar before he could sputter out a protest at his bruised arm or the beer spilled in his lap.

 

“You don’t treat people like that!” Korra shouted over her shoulder.  From the bar, Asami watched the spectacle-- Mako and his beer-covered table, Korra and her irritation, Bolin sipping on his beer, the countless other people in the bar staring at Korra-- and took a long swallow of bourbon with a neutral expression.

 

“Feel better?”

 

“Almost,” Korra said, flouncing back to her spot at Asami’s side.  “I can’t _believe_ him, he lied to me, he was a dick to you-- ugh!  We’re running up his tab tonight, I don’t care if he just got dumped.”

 

“You sure that punching him and humiliating him wasn’t enough?”

 

“No,” Korra grumbled.  She sighed after a moment.  “Fine, yes.  I’m fine.  No running up his tab.”

 

Asami elbowed Korra gently and smiled.  “Thanks, though.  Defending my honor and all that.”

 

“I can’t believe him,” Korra said again.  She huffed out an angry breath and glared over her shoulder at Mako and Bolin for a moment.  “But you’re welcome.”

 

“He’s not a bad guy,” Asami said.  “He was at least really apologetic when he dumped me.”  She smiled into her glass at Korra’s loud huff.  “How long have you known him and Bolin?”

 

“Approximately forever,” Korra said, finally smiling.  “Well, forever in college years, I guess.  I met Bolin when I was in training the summer before my freshman year, he was was here for orientation and got lost and wound up in the weight room.  The only people I knew here were the swim coaches and the only person he knew was Mako, and we both needed a workout partner and were in the same major, so it just worked out.”

 

“What is your major?  I didn’t ever actually ask.”

 

“Human biology,” Korra said.  She slurped down the last of her drink through the straw.  “Concentration in human performance.”  She sucked on the straw loudly, drawing a glare from the bartender.

 

“I have no idea what that means.”  Asami yanked the straw out of Korra’s mouth and rolled her eyes at Korra’s pout.  “It sounds complicated.  Biology is the only science I don’t really get.”

 

“Yeah, well, you spent two days with your head buried in scary equations and blueprints and I have no idea what any of that means.  Though, I mean, I do go to Stanford, just like you, so I’m not actually a totally clueless jock.”

 

“That’s not what I meant!”

 

“Uh huh,” Korra said with a smirk.  “Sure.”

 

Asami groaned, rubbing a hand over her eyes.  “You’re going to hold onto that jock comment forever, aren’t you?”

 

“Yep.”  Korra smiled broadly.

 

“Fair enough.  Do what you must.  But you know what I want to do with my degree, so it’s only fair--”

 

“Training,” Korra said.  She waved at the bartender, hiking herself up on the bar with her hands and leaning half over.  “I want to be a personal trainer, and there isn’t a sports medicine major here, but my concentration is basically like kinesiology and all that.”  She glanced over at Asami and winked.  “You want to make cars work better, I want to make people work better.”

 

“Um, hey, guys,” Mako said from behind them.  Korra dropped back to her feet and turned to glare at him, folding her arms over her chest.  “You’re not going to throw another drink at me, are you?”  He tugged on his scarf and had the grace to look sheepish.

 

“No, but I’m going to tell your grandmother about this.”  Korra’s words came out flat and dark, and his shoulders slumped.  “Seriously, dude.  Not cool.”

 

“I know,” he said.  “And I-- uh, you know, I’m sor--”

 

“Nope,” Korra said loudly.  “Not in the mood to hear it.”  

 

“Kor, come on.”  Bolin appeared at Mako’s side.  

 

“Nope,” Korra said again.  “Still annoyed.  We,” she added, gesturing to herself and Asami with one hand that flopped loosely on the warmth of three drinks.  “Are finishing these drinks and then we’re going to go hang out.  Without you two.  So we can gossip about Mako.”

 

“Hey!”

 

“It’s fair, dude,” Bolin said with a shrug and a hand on his shoulder.  “You _were_ kind of a jerk, remember, I told you--”

 

“Fine,” Mako muttered.  He heaved out a sigh.  “Okay.”

 

Korra slurped loudly at her drink and waved at them.  “Go away now.”

 

At her side, Asami laughed quietly into her drink, watching as Mako trailed after Bolin, who rerouted them towards a dartboard.  

 

“How long are you going to hold it against him?”

 

“Long as I want,” Korra muttered.  

 

“Shouldn’t I be the one who’s more pissed off?”

 

“He lied!  To both of us!  He’s one of my best friends and he didn’t tell me in the last year that he kicked you to the curb.”

 

“Ouch,” Asami said.  “I’m not quite _that_ pathetic, you know.”

 

“No!” Korra turned to face her fully, eyes wide and jaw slack.  “No no no no, that’s not what I meant!  I--”

 

“Korra,” Asami said.  Her hand pressed against Korra’s arm, her palm warm against the lines of muscle that pushed against the cotton of Korra’s shirt, and Korra swallowed a shiver.  “I know.  It’s okay, I was messing with you.”

 

“Oh, okay,” Korra said, blinking slowly.  “I just-- you’re super cool, and you gave me a place to study, and I didn’t want to--”

 

“It’s okay,” Asami interrupted.  She pulled her hand back, transferring her glass into it and wiping the condensation on her other palm against her jeans.  “So, what great plans do you have for the rest of the evening, since we’re apparently not staying here?”

 

“I hadn’t really thought that far ahead,” Korra said with half a smile.  “I haven’t had time to just hang out in ages, this semester was nuts, so I’ve kinda forgotten how to chill.”

 

“Yeah,” Asami said quietly, pushing her hair back behind her ear.  “I know what you mean.”

 

“Right,” Korra said, the word slipping out uselessly.  “Um, I don’t know.  The only thing I can remember doing when I had time off was like watching Netflix.”

 

“There’s a two dollar theater on the other side of campus,” Asami said.  She quirked an eyebrow at Korra, and Korra bit down accidentally on her straw.  “You want to see what they’ve got?”

 

“Sure,” Korra said, discarding her straw with a sour look at the mangled plastic.  “Lead the way.”

 

“You’re not going to ask me to carry you again, are you?”  Asami downed the rest of her drink and deposited the glass on the bar next to Korra’s and jerking her head towards the exit.  Korra followed her, pausing only to wave at Bolin on her way, and shuffled forward quickly to stride along next to her.  “Because I don’t think I can do that when I’ve been drinking.”

 

“No promises,” Korra said with a wide smile.  She darted forward and grabbed the door, yanking it open and motioning Asami through.

 

“Such a gentleman,” Asami said, rolling her eyes.

 

“Only because I’m gonna ask you to carry me later, probably.”

 

“This is not going to be a habit, Korra,” Asami said sharply.

 

“Mhm, okay,” Korra said.  She elbowed Asami and smiled brightly, bouncing a bit with each step.  “Do they show horror movies at this place?  I’m super in the mood for something terrible and terrifying.”

 

“I could be working right now,” Asami said with a sigh.  “How is this my life?”

 

“You’re just really lucky, obviously,” Korra said.  “So, do you want to carry me yet?”

  
“No!”  


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this has been sitting in a google doc for legitimately like eighteen months because apparently i'm a garbage human. something something merry christmas etc etc w/e

_ Hey what are you doing tomorrow? _

Korra blinked slowly at her phone, staring at the text message and shaking her head to clear out the heavy cobwebs of sleep.  She squinted at the clock in the status bar.

7:24 AM.

“What the hell, Asami?” she mumbled into her pillow.  She dropped the phone back onto her bedside table and rolled over, squashing a pillow over her eyes.  There would never be a reason to be awake before ten in the morning on Christmas Eve.

Her phone beeped again, and she ignored it.  Two minutes later, it beeped again.  Shortly after it rang loudly, and Korra spat out the mouthful of cotton from her pillowcase and fumbled for the phone.

“Asami, I swear--”

“Korra, it’s me,” Pema said pleasantly.

“Oh,” Korra muttered.  She yawned her way past her embarrassment.  “What’s up?”

“Ikki and Meelo won’t leave me alone until I get your solemn promise that you’ll be here for presents tomorrow,” Pema said.  “Which means by 8:00.”

“Okay,” Korra said, half into the phone and half into her pillow.  “Will do.”

“Korra!” Meelo’s voice ricocheted tinnily through the phone.  “It’s Christmas!  You gotta be here!”

“Mhm,” Korra mumbled.  “Totally.”

“Korra,” Pema said again.  “You should also invite your friend, the one who stayed for the break.”

“Asami?”

“Yes, her,” Pema said.  “Tenzin and I talked about it and feel that no one should spend the holiday alone.  Please invite her and tell her she’s always welcome with us.”

“Alrighty,” Korra yawned.  “Totally will do that.  Right now.”

“I’ll text you this afternoon to remind you,” Pema said.

“Okay,” Korra said.  “Bye, it’s sleep time.”  She squashed at the touchscreen with her thumb to kill the call.  Her phone clattered to the floor, staying there until three hours later when she woke up again.

There were three text messages on her phone from Asami and one from Pema, as well as two from Bolin and Mako.

_ I was just thinking if you weren’t busy we could hang out  _

_ We can get Chinese food and watch Disney movies and gossip about mako _

Korra smiled sleepily at her phone, scrolling past Mako and Bolin’s texts-- Bolin’s pointless and cheerful, Mako’s irritated at the fact that Korra had told his grandmother about Asami-- to where Pema’s waited.

_ Don’t forget to invite Asami to Christmas tomorrow _

Yawning and rubbing at her eyes, Korra tapped out a text as she shuffled towards the bathroom.

_ I’m doing Christmas with some extended family.  You’re coming too.  Bring candy for the kids, I’ll pick you up at 7:30 _

By the time she made it out of the shower, there was an uncertain text from Asami.

_ Okay? _

Korra shook water out of her hair and rolled her eyes.   _ They’re not going to like mug you or anything, don’t sound so freaked out _

_ If they do, i’m blaming you _

 

* * *

Korra parked outside Asami’s building on Christmas morning at 7:30, coffee in the cupholders and a bag of presents in the back.

_ Knock knock _ , she texted, then dropped her phone into her lap and propped her forehead against the window, eyes drooping shut.

Asami knocked on the window glass, startling Korra awake.

“Rude,” Korra mumbled through a yawn.  Asami smirked through the window as Korra unlocked the doors.  “Holy shit, Santa Claus.  I said candy, not a bodybag full of toys.”

“I wasn’t sure, okay.”  Asami flushed as she settled into her seat and brushed her hair out of her face.  “I’ve never met these people and they’re feeding me on Christmas, I thought I should at least not show up empty handed.”  She dug into the gigantic purse at her feet and fished out a bottle of wine.  “And for the parents.”

“Ah.  Um,” Korra said.  “Probably should’ve told you.  They don’t drink.  They’re like super health nuts.”

“They  _ what _ ?  And you told me to bring their kids candy?”

“Relax, Sato.”  Korra pulled away from the curb with a smirk.  “The kids can eat whatever they want on Christmas.  And Tenz and Pema don’t mind alcohol, they always keep some beer on hand for me and the boys, they just aren’t into it.”

“Shit,” Asami mumbled.  “Can we stop somewhere?  We need to stop somewhere.  Do they like coffee?”

“Chill, dude, seriously,” Korra said.  “They’re super cool, and they won’t expect anything from you, and they’ll be really flattered that you brought them anything and will mostly just give me a look for not telling you that they don’t drink.  Seriously.  Do not worry.”

“Kids make me nervous,” Asami said with a sigh.

“Really?  I hadn’t noticed.”

“Ugh, shut up, you jerk.”

“And a merry merry Christmas to you, too,” Korra sang.

The ride to Tenzin and Pema’s was punctuated by Korra singing off-key Christmas carols and Asami punching her in the arm at every stoplight.  Outside of the house, Korra held Asami lug the oversized bag of gifts out of the car and had barely shouldered it when a blur of dark hair bodyslammed her, followed quickly by a smaller, balder one.

“Merry Christmas!”  Ikki shouted, as if she wasn’t already latched around Korra’s midsection and squeezing the air out of her.  “Come on come on come on, it’s time for presents!  Mom and Daddy won’t let us do anything until you’re here so come on!”

“Korra!” Meelo shouted, clambering up Ikki’s back imperiously and shouting in her ear.  “What took you so long?”

“Oh my God, heel, heel, heel, children,” Korra wheezed out.  “Can’t breathe.”

“Come on come on come on!” Ikki said again, shrugging until Meelo dropped to stand on his own, and she grabbed for Korra’s free hand.  “Are those presents for us?  You got us presents?  You got us so many presents!”

“They’re not from me,” Korra said with a broad smile.  “Ikki, Meelo, this is my friend Asami.  She’s spending Christmas with us, and she brought the presents.”

Ikki and Meelo finally stopped jumping around at Korra’s side enough to spot Asami, who was staring apprehensively from her spot by the hood of the car.  Ikki bolted over to her and tackled her just as she had Korra.

“Hi!  You’re so pretty, and you brought us presents!  Merry Christmas!”

“My lady,” Meelo said, sweeping one arm out as he bowed.  The top of his shaved head brushed against Asami’s shin. 

“I—hi,” Asami said.  She shot a look over to Korra and mouthed  _ help _ , and Korra simply shrugged and started up the sidewalk. 

“Come on, guys,” she called over her shoulder.  “Bring Asami in and give her the tour.”

Inside, Korra hugged a more composed Jinora as she deposited the presents in the living room and made her way to the kitchen. 

“Merry Christmas, guys,” she said by way of greeting to an exhausted-looking Tenzin and Pema.  “When did Meelo wake you up?”

“Four o’clock,” Tenzin said with a groan.  Korra smirked widely.  Behind her, there was a commotion as Meelo pulled Asami through the house by one hand while she struggled to support Ikki, who was latched onto her piggyback.  Asami managed to pause long enough, flushed and breathless, to breathe out a “Hello, you have a lovely home,” before she was pulled away by the kids.

“Korra,” Pema said slowly.  “Is that Asami Sato?”

“Yeah,” Korra said.  “You told me to bring her, remember?  She brought like a bajillion gifts for the kids.”

“Sato, as in Hiroshi Sato?”

“I—don’t know?”  Korra cocked an eyebrow at Pema.  “What?  Who’s that?”

“Hiroshi Sato,” Pema said again.  “Honestly, Korra, do you ever read the news?”

“Hey, I’ve been busy, okay.”  Korra folded her arms over her chest.  “Between, you know, training and school and Olympic trials and working for you and—”

“Hiroshi Sato was the head of development at Toyota for years,” Pema said.  “He went to prison last year because he was indicted for covering up gas pedal defects.  It caused a bunch of car accidents that killed a lot of people.”

“He  _ what _ ?”

“It was all over the papers when he was indicted,” Tenzin said quietly.  “At least thirty people died in accidents.  One of Lin’s friends almost died in one of them.”

“Oh.  Shit.”  Korra rubbed a hand over her eyes.  “I mean, that’s terrible, but—Asami said she isn’t close to him, so—”

“We aren’t.”  Asami spoke quietly from the doorway to the kitchen.  She shifted uneasily from one foot to the other.  

“Asami,” Korra said quickly.  She shot a dirty look over at Tenzin and Pema.  “I—”

“Presents!” Meelo bellowed from the living room.  “I want presents!”

“You heard the man,” Asami said softly.  She turned back to the living room, and Korra bolted after her, intercepting her and dragging her down the hallway towards the guest room.

“Asami,” she said quietly.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t know, I had no idea they would bring it up, I—”

“It’s okay.  I don’t blame them if they don’t want anything to do with me, if they knew someone who--”  She smiled, forced and too-wide.  “I should let you guys enjoy Christmas.  I can call a taxi.”

“Asami, no, no, don’t do that.”  Korra grabbed for her wrists, holding her in place.  “Seriously, okay, Tenz and Pema aren’t like that, I promise.  I think they were just surprised, is all, and mostly Pema was giving me shit for being so out of touch with the world that I didn’t recognize your name and—I’m really, really sorry, and I know they both are, too, and will you please stay?”

“Okay,” Asami said quietly, though her shoulders slumped tiredly.  “If you’re sure.”

“Positive,” Korra said quickly.  “They don’t hold grudges, and even if they did, they wouldn’t hold one against you for what your dad because you’re, like, very obviously not your dad.  So.”

“They wouldn’t be the first if they did,” Asami mumbled.  “But okay.”  She smiled, ever so slight but a little less forced, and tilted her head towards the living room.

“Hey, wait, hold on a sec.”  Korra kept ahold of her wrists, locking her in place as she regarded Asami with a creased forehead.  “You do know that you aren’t responsible for whatever shit your dad pulled, right?  You know that.  Even if people are assholes to you about it.”

“Yeah,” Asami said, flat and tired.  “Of course.”

“I mean it.”

“I know you do.”  Asami finally smiled more genuinely.  “Come on, your minions are getting restless.”

 

* * *

By the time the gifts were opened and Tenzin and Pema served Christmas dinner, the early winter evening had darkened the sky outside and Pema had packaged up the entirety of the dinner leftovers into Tupperware for Korra and Asami.

“Are you sure--”

“Yes,” Pema said sharply, shoving another Tupperware full of green beans onto the stack in Asami’s hands.  “I was in college once, too, and I know how Korra eats, so you’re taking this all home and eating it.”

“Yes ma’am,” Korra and Asami said weakly.  

“Now go home and get some sleep,” Pema said.  “Since we made you get up early.”

“Yes ma’am,” they said again.  

“Thank you for having me,” Asami said quietly as Korra followed Pema to the front door.  “I know that--”

“You’re welcome here anytime, Asami,” Tenzin said firmly.  “Anytime.”

“Thank you,” Asami repeated, looking down at the stacks of leftovers in her hands.  “I appreciate it.”

“Come on already,” Korra called from the front door.  “It’s cold out here!”

“Thanks again, Tenzin, it was wonderful to meet you,” Asami said, smiling over her stack of Tupperware before she hurried to the door.  “Aren’t you from Alaska or something?  Shouldn’t you be better with cold?”

“Rude,” Korra said with a huff.  “I’m a delicate flower.”

“You’re about a delicate as a bulldozer,” Asami threw back, hipchecking Korra as she rounded the car to the passenger side.

“I take offense to that.”  Korra flopped down into the driver’s seat, Tupperware rattling, and hefted the leftovers into Asami’s lap.  “Hold those.”

“Seriously?” Asami muttered.  She slumped back into her seat as Korra blew her a kiss from across the car and revved the engine.  

 

* * *

“So,” Korra said, hopping out of the car and helping Asami gather all of the leftovers and carry them inside.  “What’re you up to for the rest of the break?”

“Working, mostly.”  Asami stacked her collection of Tupperware into Korra’s hands, patting her on the head as she lifted her chin enough to prop it onto the lid at the top of the pile, and fumbled for her keys.

“Take your time, don’t mind me,” Korra mumbled, nearly dislodging the entire pile.

“Delicate flower,” Asami said, stepping to the side and bowing low as she swung the door open for Korra.

Korra hurried through the door and managed to make it to the kitchen table before the Tupperware all slipped free, skidding across the table and the blueprints scattered all over it.  She flopped down into one of the chairs, drooping lazily over it and exhaling loudly.

“Olympic hopeful, swimming prodigy, the pride of Stanford University athletics, felled by Tupperware,” Asami said as she toed her boots off and kicked them out of the way.

“Har har.”  Korra rolled her eyes.  “Are you doing anything on Friday?”

“Working, mostly,” Asami said again.  She restacked the Tupperware, organizing them by size.  “I want to get ahead on the reading for some of my classes.”

Korra shifted in her seat, the the feet on her chair squeaking loudly on the tile floor.  “Do you want to get dinner?”

“On Friday?”  Asami paused in her organization, looking over her shoulder to Korra with a wrinkle in her forehead.  

“Yeah,” Korra said.  She tugged at the strap on her watch and cleared her throat.  “With me.”

“Yeah, sure.”  Asami turned back to her Tupperware with half a shrug.  “Are Mako and Bolin going to be back by then?”

“No, I mean--,” Korra said, coughing loudly.  “I mean, yeah, they will be, but I meant-- do you want to get dinner with me.  As a date.”

The Tupperware full of mashed potatoes slipped out of Asami’s hands and clattered down onto the table.  “Oh,” Asami said faintly.   “A date?”

“Yeah,” Korra said, leg bouncing rapidly under the table.  “Do you want to go on a date with me?”

“Oh,” Asami said again.  

“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” Korra hurried out.  “Obviously.  I just-- wanted to ask.  Because I really like you, and you’re really awesome, but if you don’t want to--”

“It’s not-- I just can’t?” Asami said.  The words came out tight, almost as tight as the tension across her shoulders.  She took a deep breath, focusing somewhere to the left of Korra’s ear, carefully keeping Korra’s eyes out of her gaze.  “I’m not really-- after everything with my dad last year, and trying to finish up school and stuff, I just--can’t really date right now, I don’t think.”

“Okay,” Korra said slowly, taking a deep breath and blowing it out loudly.  “But like-- you would?  Maybe?  With me? If things were different?”

“Yeah,” Asami mumbled.  She abandoned the Tupperware and settled down onto the edge of the chair opposite of Korra.  “I think so.  I’m sorry?”

“Wait, for what?” Korra’s leg stopped bouncing.  “You don’t have to apologize for not going on a date with me, that’s dumb.”

“I just-- feel bad, I guess?”

Korra scoffed and tilted her chair back on two legs.  “Don’t, dude, seriously.  If you’d said yes, that would be awesome, but you’re my friend and that’s also awesome.  It’s not like being friends with you instead of dating you is a total drag or anything like that.”

“What a ringing endorsement,” Asam deadpanned.  Korra dropped her chair back onto all four legs to kick out at Asami’s shin.  Asami groaned and yanked her feet up into the chair, pulling her knees to her chest.  “This doesn’t have to make things weird, right?”

Hesitation pulled at her voice, and Korra stopped trying to kick her under the table.  

“Definitely not,” she said firmly.  “We’re good.  So let’s go to dinner on Friday.  As friends.  We can go to that diner where you always ogle the hot waitress and then you can kick my ass at bowling again.”

“I don’t  _ ogle _ her.”  Asami hurled a napkin from the kitchen table at Korra, hitting her in the face.

“Oh, please.”  Korra threw the napkin right back.  “You  _ always _ stare at her butt, it’s adorable.”

“I hate you,” Asami mumbled.  Korra grinned, broad and bright, and slumped down in her chair so she could stretch her legs out enough to kick at Asami’s shin.

“You would never,” Korra said, flailing until she landed a hit and immediately sliding off the chair afterwards.  She landed on the floor under the table with a yelp and Asami laughs, loud and bright and clear.  


End file.
